Cellular Backup...Whats the best one

[Mike P]

Hi, I'm looking for a cellular unit for CS reporting. Believe it or not I am a security installation contractor, I only install access control and cctv though so I am not up on the latest alarm product technology. I need a basic unit for a secondary home we just bought, the ins. co. is requiring low temp monitoring. I have Time Warner VOIP installed, but if the power goes out for a while and it's -30 outside the house could get cold pretty quick and the voip is not going to help with no power. I would also like to add one to my existing Elk M1. Is there a model that will talk directly with the M1. I have 70+ zones and would like to have all of the reporting the same as over a land line.

Anyone have any pro's or con's on different models they are using?

The Ins. co. wants it done right away, but I will be at the ISC show in NY in a couple of weeks, Anybody hear of any new cellular units coming out soon that I should wait for?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Del91574]

Uplink 2500 and XSP.

Best solution for the M1, communication to the panel is bidirectional rather than dialer capture. Capture units keep the panel happy by just faking the handshake and kissoff, where with the 2500, you could take an output to latch on an input to display a cell fault/failure or drive KP text via a rule.

With the 2500, you wouldn't even need a panel to send signals from a dry contact low temp.

The 2500, XSP and power supply is cheaper than a TG-4, provides more functionality than a TG-1 and same goes compared to something like a GS-3060.

Dealer pricing for the cell service is pretty fair, only downside is you need a CS account in addition to the cellular account.

 

[apostolakisl]

I have a hai c3 unit. It works exactly the same as a land line except it runs over a gsm cellular network. It requires a subscription to tmobile or att (gsm networks) as either prepaid or regular. I have a $100 prepaid att card which lasts a year and is plenty of minutes. The land line plugs into the unit so the unit defaults to landline unless land line is down in which case it switches over to cellular. I do not have a landline so mine always goes over gsm. It has a built-in battery for power failure. As far as the reporting station is concerned it is the same as a landline. So anything that you can report via landline reports the same without any modifications to your monitoring co.

I have had quite a few false alarms since installing mine over a year ago and have never had a failure. Installation is a breeze, just plug in power, plug in phone line, plug in antenna, and you are done. I have heard that some monitoring co's equipment has trouble with the signal coming over cell, but mine never has.

EDIT: And one other thing, if you hook it up where the phone line enters the home phone system, it will function as a backup for the entire home phone system. In other words, phone line from telco enters hai, extis hai to alarm panel, exits alarm panel to home. In this case, the alarm panel will seize the line if need be, but otherwise it passes either the pots line (if working) or cell service (if pots down, it has a different dial tone) through to the home.

 

[Digger]

Uplink 2500 and XSP.

Best solution for the M1, communication to the panel is bidirectional rather than dialer capture. Capture units keep the panel happy by just faking the handshake and kissoff, where with the 2500, you could take an output to latch on an input to display a cell fault/failure or drive KP text via a rule.

With the 2500, you wouldn't even need a panel to send signals from a dry contact low temp.

The 2500, XSP and power supply is cheaper than a TG-4, provides more functionality than a TG-1 and same goes compared to something like a GS-3060.

Dealer pricing for the cell service is pretty fair, only downside is you need a CS account in addition to the cellular account.

Is anyone using the UpLink 2500 with Alarm Relay(they recommend the Uplink Anynet or the Teleguard units) ? I know you can use the M1XEP with them but I dont think they have worked out all of the issues yet.

I am currently using NextAlarm with the ABN but want to move away from them. I have been testing them and disconnecting the ABN from the internet and they dont even notice. That means that they are not really monitoring the polling like they say. I do get the Fail to Communicate locally.

 

[tmbrown97]

My research led me to the same conclusion as DEL. I believe either that Uplink model or another similar one can run off the Elk's power supply so you only have one battery system to size (neither one is much use without the other).

 

[Del91574]

With the Uplink's (not just the 2500), it makes no difference who monitors it and how because of how it works and can be set up.

As a dealer, I typically set the 2500's to take the serial data and retransmit from Uplink as a POTS account. What that means is the cell gets the full data from the panel and you can route it to the CS via IP or as a POTS transmission (like a standard alarm panel). Each method had a primary and secondary with "dial" attempts as well. In my case, I'll only use a single account at the CS as the signal is routed to the same account # as the primary POTS/Dialer account. On a few I've done the cell as the primary with the dialer being secondary on the M1.

In my case, with the 2500 and routing via IP into the CS, I'd either have to use an IP account # and route the Uplink into the same account or use 2 CS accounts, 1 for the POTS/digital communicator and a second for the Uplink. Basically the same holds true for me with other units, Telular, Connect 24, AES, and Alarmnet, I would need 2 accounts and a CS that supports the 3rd party cellular vendor's communication routing/format.

I can't speak for NextAlarm, but my CS checks the IP polling/heartbeats and does respond to them appropriately.

In the M1's and 2500's I've installed, I've picked up the kit that Elk makes (mainly just a glamourized project box) with the supply and battery and then I run 8-10 conductors to that for the 485, a couple of zones for supervision/shutdown options, then grab AC locally and put the XSP in the can with the supply. Given what I've seen with other panels/cells and the numbers that Elk and Uplink post for current draws, I always run a separate supply. Seen way too many bad things happen on panels with cells when they really start transmitting heavily.

 

[smolino]

I am using the Uplink 2540 with the Elk M1 to Alarm Relay. The 2540 uses Sprints CDMA cellular network rather than the GSM network, required in my rural area where GSM is not available. Alarm Relay does charge more for monitoring the 2540 as they are charged more by Uplink.
I have it configured as a backup to my land line. Its works very well, I have had no issues so far.

 

[Neurorad]

Does the CS really see the incoming GSM or CDMA notification as it would a POTS transmission? My monitoring company wants to charge much, much more for GSM, monthly.

Spec'ing a new install, figuring out the details before I buy anything.

 

[Del91574]

Depends on the particular service provider. Uplink can be seamless to the CS and "appear" as a POTS straight to the receiver. Others such as Telular, Alarmnet and Connect 24 are ported in differently to the CS.

Usually, the average cost is equivalent to 2 normal accounts, depending on the service provider....since technically the cell provider is an account and the CS is an account.

 

[Neurorad]

I've read here on CT of a few wireless communicators that are compatible with the M1.

Uplink and Tellular are definitely compatible. I read of someone using a C3 as well.

Which other wireless communicators can be used with the M1? I'm trying to find other options; one CS told me they can use Uplink, Alarmnet, and Skyroute (Connect24).

 

[Del91574]

Honestly, I believe the best to be the Uplink 2500 via serial, as the communications path is bidirectional to the panel.

Other units, like Telular, Alarmnet, Connect 24 are strictly dialer capture, and while they will work, there are inherent differences in how they work as well as if they FTC, then there's an issue which would need to be addressed via (hopefully) a trouble relay on the unit and a zone wired back to the M1, which is more clunky than a straight bidirectional serial connection/comms route. I would not recommend any unit that takes dry contacts, summary data connections or any "zone" wiring or bell trigger wiring, since that defeats the whole purpose of having a cellular in these days....that sort of stuff goes back 10-15 years in abilities, not to mention they were designed as a sidecar add on to digital dialer panels back then. AES intellinet is another option, however you would need to work with an installing dealer and their mesh network.

The C3 is an option for some, but IMHO, I don't believe it to be as solid as a truly dedicated unit because of the variable by using a self-provided SIM and your cell provider's protocols. It also puts out sidetones for the send/end cell commands that sometimes does not play nice with panels.